Rhythm and Boys

Recently a couple of things have been really bugging me;
1. the air of chaos in my house, I feel like nothing every actually happens or gets done
2. the boys (Rowan really, Reuben just copies) are so into raah play

So I thought long and hard about how to change these things and see if I can adjust something to make life more peaceful and flowing.

I am in the process of introducing  rhythm into our days.  I kind of started on Wednesday and so far so good, I have been thinking about this for a while and even though we plan on home educating Rowan and Reuben I am not sure the fully autonomus route is for us.  Then upon reading this blog I thought lets try something similar.

Things I have been aiming for are;
A daily yoga session (only very short, just some breathing and a few postures)
One focussed activity a day (today we made a scarecrow)
Lots of free play, books etc
To get out of the house everyday, even if just for a quick bike ride down the lane.
A rest time for everyone (well, for the boys as then I can get jobs done without feeling guilty)

So the last two days have been a success, I felt I have more time to be with my children instead of playing whilst thinking of the one hundred and one other things I need to be doing and they get the undivided attention of mummy doing something fun together and plenty of time to do what they want aswell.

So maybe thats the chaos slightly under control (I don't think its possible to remove chaos from a household with two boys aged under 4 in it!)  Which brings me onto my next problem...

Boys, testosterone, sticks, guns, fighting, and general raahh!
What to do, what to do, I am still flummaxed!
We have no TV in our house, the only thing they watch is an occasional DVD and they have no violence in them at all.  All of their books are non violent, although we do occasionally get caught out on a book from the library.  I don't know where it has come from but at the moment the guns thing is full on, all sticks are guns, bam bam.

At the home ed group on Fridays and Rowans pre school on Tuesdays there is a big testosterone fuelled group of 4 year old boys and it is intense, but they all come form the same type of home, where they are also not faced with violent images.

So today, whilst out on a bike ride, Rowan found two sticks that were 'perfect' guns (with little handles on them.)  He begged me to take them home and after explaining that I don't like guns or gun play I said if he can carry them and ride his bike then he can take them home.  so he spent the next five minutes desperatly trying to fix them onto his bike and he succeeded!  So we now have two 'guns' in the garden.  I think I may hide them and see if they are remembered in the morning.

Part of me thinks maybe this is just an age thing and if I stop making such a big deal out of it then it won't become a big deal.  Just make him aware of the consequences of fighting and playing like that.
I don't know, I don't like it one little bit!